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SWhiplash

Parachuting in Antarctica

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On the advice of Grimmie, I’m re-posting this story in the History Forum. My original post was in reply to AlexZander’s post announcing his exciting plans to organize a jump expedition to the South Pole. If he is able to find the right people and the right support, his will be a great story to tell. In the 80’s, I had a great opportunity to go to Antarctica and make some jumps. My story of jumping in Antarctica goes like this…

I joined the U.S. Navy in 1981 and agreed to the standard 4 year hitch. After Boot Camp and initial training in aviation electrical systems, I was very fortunate to be assigned to Antarctic Development Squadron 6, (VXE-6). VXE-6 supported the National Science Foundation by flying scientific research and station supply missions around the continent in the LC-130’s. Short distance science hops were conducted in the H-1 Twin Huey’s. Our home port was Naval Air Station, Point Mugu, CA. Those orders were probably some of the best Sea Duty orders a person could get. Roughly 8 months was spent training at Point Mugu…Fun in the Sun, while the other 4 months were spent “On The Ice” at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Our deployment schedule was solid since our work could only be done during the “summer” months of October to mid February when we had 24 hours of daylight and reasonable temperatures to operate in. Even though I had close to 400 jumps, a B License and a riggers ticket, I had to wait until I was promoted to 3rd Class Petty Officer to join our squadron’s Para-Rescue Team. By the way, I learned to skydive from the great people of the Osprey Sport Parachute Club in Kalispell, Montana. Dick Steinky (Stinky), Fred Sand and Dave Tousey. Wonderful people who eventually purchaced land and created Lost Prairie. Once I was authorized to join the team, and knowing the military’s mind set of training from the bottom up no matter what a person’s qualifications might be, I was concerned I may have to go through the standard 5 static line jumps etc. before being allowed to make freefall jumps. Fortunately, we had Master Chief John Blankenship as our Para-Rescue Team leader. Master Chief Blankenship also had a B License and about 300 jumps. I don’t remember him doing much civilian jumping, but he certainly knew the business of parachute training and was a good skydiver. After a brief visit in his office, he told me with no uncertainty I could jump my own gear and help with team rigging duties right away. Wow! Great news! In fact, after the first day of making a few jumps at Pt. Mugu, he had me working my way into jump mastering static line and free fall jumpers from the Huey’s and the C-130’s. Good times.

Most of the jumpers on the 1983 Para-Rescue Team were on student status. Static line jumps, dummy ripcord pulls, hop and pops mainly. A few of the guys made it to free fall and 15 to 20 second delays. However, along with J. Blankenship was our Squadron’s Flight Surgeon, Doctor Glenn Bacon (LT). Doc Bacon earned his A License by completing the AFF course at Perris Valley prior to our 1983 deployment. We made many memorable jumps from the ski equipped LC-130's and twin "Hueys". After putting out sticks of a dozen or so static line and freefall jumpers from 3,500, J. Blankenship, Doc Bacon and I would get a pass from 12,500 out of the C-130 for some “Three Man Stars” in Antarctica! What a treat! Those jumps were likely the first RW jumps in Antarctica. On other jump operations, we would do hovering exits out of the Hueys from 7,500 with people leaving from both skids! So cool! Of course, we had to make to obligatory 1,500 static line training jump out of the C-130’s on T-10's. Those jumps were nail biters for this Osprey trained jumper.

The images here are photocopies of print film from that era, hence the poor quality. The PC's used in these photos were from our squadron's parachute equipment inventory. Thankfully, they let me use my "more up to date" rig. My main was a 220 ft^2 Spirit (a Comet knock off) with Super 22 foot Lopo...possibly made by National. The harness/container was a Northern Light, two pin reserve, belly band hand deployed main. I believe the Northern Light was an early model of today's Infinity. That rig was, quite possibly, the first piggyback rig and square parachute used in Antarctica. I can't prove it, but civilian aviation activity in the Antarctic prior to the 1990's was minimal while skydiving on "The Ice" in the early 80's was most likely non-existent. Military parachute equipment at that time may have started to move towards ram air parachutes for Special Operations, but any cold weather training would have been done in more accessible areas like Canada or Alaska.

Since this post started with the idea of jumping at the South Pole, I should mention there was a rumor on one of our deployments we would get the chance to jump at South Pole Station…on New Years Eve no less, but the request was disapproved by “Upper Management”. I heard of one Para Rescue Team making a jump at the South Pole a few years before my time and I understand it was a near disaster due to high winds both aloft and on the surface. Round T-10’s, high winds and a 10,000 foot MSL drop zone don’t fit into anyone’s definition of a “fun jump”. A famous T-Shirt from the South Pole Station general store said it all…”Ski the South Pole….1/2 inch of powder…..10,000 feet of base”.

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"... Thankfully, they let me use my "more up to date" rig. My main was a 220 ft^2 Spirit (a Comet knock off) ..."

.................................................................................

Both canopies were designed by Bill Gargano.

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First of all, thank you for your service fellow OAE and Para Rescue Team member. However, after reading this post I was compelled to respond with a clarification to hearing of a Rescue Team making a jump at the South Pole before your time.
Christmas Eve 1973 there was no wind when I and three other U.S. Navy VXE-6 Para-Rescue Team members jumped at South Pole station, Antarctica. It was clear day. Shortly before the jump someone observed surface temperature of -10o F. I’m not aware of S.P. jumps between my deployment and yours 1974 - 1981.
Official US Navy message traffic stated: “Jumpers will be dressed in special clothing suitable for the occasion. Historical records indicate this will be the first Para-Rescue operation at South Pole Station since 1965. Purpose of demonstration is to field test new equipment, evaluate new techniques, and to wish a very Merry Christmas to our many friends at Pole Station”. Attached photo is from book; 20 Years on the Ice, Public Affairs Staff of Antarctic Development Squadron Six, published by Tiffany of California Publishing Company, 1975.
We set up our ground site as cargo was unloaded from Hercules 159129 (the real reason this LC-130 came to the Pole). The jump was just like any other practice: “set up a DZ target, board the aircraft with gear, spot and jump”. This was going to be a 10 second delay free-fall. Jumpmaster and Parachute Rigger Chief Petty Officer Ray Smith’s main was a Paraplane Cloud while the rest of us used Para-Commanders. When the aircraft reached jump altitude the aft cargo ramp and door was opened. That is one awesome experience standing back there inflight and at high altitude with that big ramp open! If you’ve been there you must agree. Those of us in the cargo compartment had already begun breathing oxygen with individual masks and portable cylinders during spotting. These were set aside moments before exiting the aircraft.
Note that altitudes reported and recorded are ASL (Above Sea Level) not AGL (Above Ground Level). Our jump altimeters were set to AGL based on readings from aircraft instruments while on deck.
My Parachutist Log entry by Jumpmaster Ray Smith wrote: Alt Jump: 13800, Delay in Seconds: 10 plus, Maneuvers: Fast-, Distance to Target: Where? Surface Wind: 0, Remarks: Malfunction-Beautiful cutaway-Fast---Damn fast descent. My PC had a line entanglement malfunction. I imagined it as though “a quarter of the pie above me had been cut out”. My rate of decent was high and I cutaway. My recollection and Ray’s differ because I experienced it and he was above me somewhere. My body position could have been better when I cutaway. I added more free-fall time before deploying reserve. I’m sure it was several seconds and a couple photos from aircraft attest to this. I landed as near to target under my reserve as I could. Chief Warrant Officer Two Bill Couch, following team procedures, landed nearby to ensure I was alright.
Both Jerry and Bill have passed away. I’ve not communicated with Ray in several years and uncertain of his status. Like the Antarctic landscape; historical documentation of parachuting by individuals or teams is quite barren. I have many photos of this event and would re-post them if anyone is interested. I’m grateful for this website’s organizers for providing a forum to contribute to.

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This is a sort of a long read but it deals with jump in Antarctica.

"I have no official capacity to investigate this accident since it occurred outside of the US. Had this occurred at my DZ, I would have been charged with assisting in the investigation as a USPA Instructor/Examiner and FAA licensed parachute rigger. I have produced this analysis so as to gain some measure of insight into the problems these men encountered so as to avoid the consequences of this accident in the future. I understand that the Chileans still have the gear; therefore, no US organization has had a chance to examine the 3 deceased skydivers rigs (although the evidence thus far indicates there was no gear malfunctions). Although I am sure more information will come to light as time goes by, I feel there has been enough information gathered to make a conclusion as to the cause(s) of this accident with a high-degree of certainty.
Weather: (12/6 at 1200 GMT): 4,000 scattered, visibility unlimited, winds 140 true (from the direction of the 140 East Meridian) at 7 knots, temperature -29.9C, altimeter setting was 28.76" Hg (about 1.16" below standard sea level pressure of 29.92 - typical for pressure at the South Pole)
Organization: Adventure Network International provided the logistical support for this operation. From all indications that I received, I believe Ray Miller and Steve Mulholland were being compensated by ANI for their efforts in organizing the Expedition. In other words, ANI was in full operational charge of this operation. I will make reference to Ray's and Steve's experience levels below. I am not sure whether it was Ray or Steve who was doing the organizing for the 4-way.
Planned Activity: 4-way freefall formation with the point being pulled from the aircraft.
Aircraft: Lockheed L-100 (Operated by SAFAir of Johannesburg, SA) from Punta Arenas, Chile to Patriot Hills, Antarctica (80S, 81W). DeHavilland DHC-6-300 (Operated by Ken Borric Air of Calgary, Canada) from Patriot Hills to Amundsen-Scott Base at the geographical South Pole. Only 1 jump was executed during this profile.
Drop Exit Altitude: approximately 8,500 ft. AGL or 17,801 ft. AMSL (DZ at 9,301 ft. AMSL) Profile: The aircraft landed first at Pole, took off the door then climbed to altitude. I am not sure at what altitude the aircraft cruised to Pole, but it is normally at 12,500 ft. AMSL (approximately 3,000 ft. AGL). Their route of flight from Patriot Hills to Pole was between the Horlick Mountains and the Pensacola Mountains which is a gradual climbing terrain to 9,301 AMSL. I am not sure how long they would have remained at the cruise altitude and what effect this had on hypoxia during the jump. The Twin Otter in wheel/ski configuration cruises at approx. 140 kts. and the distance is 585 nm. Time of flight is approx. 4.5 hours. The DeHavilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter has an unpressurized cabin. I do not believe they would have had enough oxygen aboard for the jumpers to pre-breath oxygen before landing at Pole and climb to altitude for drop - nor do I believe they did so.
The jump: From Michael Kearns' statement (as well as sources close to the debrief), it appears that they did have supplemental oxygen aboard the aircraft and some of the jumpers did use it during the climb to altitude. None of the deceased were reported to have AAD's. None had bail out oxygen. From what I can gather, they tried to pull a 4-way from the aircraft which funneled. Two people were able to put together a 2-way as the remaining 2 jumpers tried to close for a 4-way. Michael Kearns was on final approach to dock on the freefall formation with one other behind him when his CYPRES fired at its preset altitude of 750 ft. AGL. Mike made no report of any signal by the load organizer to break the freefall formation for separation during opening. Mike had only time enough to unstow his brakes and turn into the wind before hitting hard on the ice. He went immediately to the base to get help. The base personnel retraced Mike's steps in the snow with skidoos and, after a short search, found the 3 bodies. Planned break off was at 4,000 ft. AGL with opening at 3,500 ft. AGL minimum. All 3 of the deceased impacted the snow in close proximity and were partially buried beneath the surface. Steve Mulholland was the only one of the 3 deceased to have a partial deployment. Since we have not been able to examine the gear - specifically the closure loop on Steve's main, I am not certain whether the deployment was caused by impact or by efforts at deployment. From what I knew of Steve, I assume he made an effort at deployment.
ANALYSIS: I spoke with several sources close to the investigation and have formed this analysis of the accident based upon my knowledge of the people involved and the facts surrounding the case. I have been told that there will be an article in Parachutist on the accident which may give a few more details other than that included in this report. From what I know about Ray and Steve, Ray was not an active jumper which would make him non-proficient in Relative Work. Steve's main hobby was BASE jumping which is not an RW discipline. Steve told me he had approximately 100 skydives (non-BASE jumps) as well as the first known Antarctic BASE jump while working for Antarctic Support Associates in support of the USAP. Hans Rezac's main hobby was "extreme sports" including a nude jump last year in -20C weather. Hans was not a relative worker either. I have no information about Mike Kearns.
Once the formation funneled off of the aircraft, the remainder of the dive was spent trying for a 4-way completion. Mike Kearns was closing for a 3 way when his CYPRES fired and deployed his reserve parachute.
True airspeed increases (i.e. frontal area air resistance used to support a freefalling body) with an increase in altitude by a margin of 2% per thousand feet above sea level pressure as a rule of thumb. That means that at 18,000 ft. AMSL, terminal velocity is 36% faster than the sea level t.v. of 120 mph (or 163 mph). At 12,000 ft. (minimum container opening altitude) it is approx. 24% faster. The average during the freefall time is approximately 156 or ~160 mph. The normal freefall time of 41 seconds (from the Skydivers Information Manual freefall times chart) is now cut down to about 32 seconds (2.67 miles per minutes over 6,000 ft or ~1.2 miles plus time to accelerate to terminal). Add to that hypoxia, no Dytter Audible Altitude Warning Device, no AAD's, no practice jumps, inexperience, the stress of travel to get to the South Pole, cold, nervousness of jumping a hostile environment, lack of preparation, disorganization and
distraction/temporal distortion from doing a freefall formation without proficiency.
In aviation accidents, normally one problem does not add up to an incident. It normally takes several problems to lead to a disaster. Any one of these factors would not have lead up to this accident (reference Trond Jacobsen's successful jump from the same aircraft on the same flight and same pass at altitude). From my discussions with Trond, he had done considerable preparatory work before the expedition. Please refer here for Trond's write-up of the incident. Parroting a saying in too many skydiving accidents across the world, "An AAD could have prevented these fatalities". Although all persons on a freefall formation dive are charged with altitude awareness, the load organizer is charged with assigning break off altitude and assuring that those procedures are followed. Also, a basic concept in skydiving is the manual deployment of a parachute at a safe altitude above the ground - an operation which was not followed in this instance.
This concludes my efforts at researching this accident. We have made a few minor changes to our expedition as a result of this accident, but in whole our planning has addressed the altimetry, training, experience and equipment issues faced in operations in this hostile environment. I would like to thank Dwight Fisher at the NSF's Office of Polar Programs for sharing his in-depth knowledge of Antarctic Aviation during our July, 1996 meeting to discuss operational aspects of our expedition"
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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